BREAKING: Georgia Tech lands Pinson Valley (Ala.) QB Zach Pyron
On Wednesday afternoon, after months of anticipation, anxiety, and even a bit of worrying by the fanbase, Georgia Tech landed their QB for the 2022 class.
Almost exactly a month ago, Georgia Tech was still evaluating their options at the position. When Pinson Valley (Ala.) QB Zach Pyron decommitted from Baylor, things changed quickly.
Within hours, both Arkansas and Vanderbilt pulled the trigger on offers. Georgia Tech wasn't far behind. Baylor wasn't ready to give up either.
Following back-to-back weekends in Atlanta, Pyron made the call to commit to head coach Geoff Collins and the rest of the staff over those opportunities.
He went in-depth on his decision exclusively with JacketsOnline.
"I'm really excited about being committed to Georgia Tech, and what the future holds for us there," said Pyron. "I've had some great conversations with Coach Collins, Coach (Dave) Patenaude, and Coach (Brent) Key. They weren't expecting the news this soon, to some of them it felt like it came out of nowhere.There had been hopes it would happen, but they didn't expect it right then and there. Everyone involved was extremely fired up."
Pyron visited Atlanta the last two weekends, and was able to get a feel for the Georgia Tech fanbase in two totally different atmospheres.
"The biggest takeaway I found after those back-to-back weekends around the program was that Georgia Tech is building something very special. For them to continue to do that, they are going to need some pieces to come in and make an impact. That's something I have always wanted to be a part of," said Pyron about what he remembers most about his time. "I feel like at Georgia Tech, with the coaching staff is on the right path, and that's something to be excited about."
Pyron continued.
"The fanbase, they are growing and will continue to grow. The better the football is that you play, the more fans you are going to have."
One of the big factors in Pyron's decision was how quickly and naturally he saw his relationship grow with the coaches at GT. Especially the relationship with his future OC, Dave Patenaude.
"Our relationship, it got pretty strong pretty fast," he said. " Not only is he close to me though, but my family as well. He spent a lot of time with us that Saturday before the game at the Benz, and then this past Saturday we got to spent a lot more time with him, since it was a home game at Bobby Dodd. I am excited about seeing what I can do when given a chance in this offense. I feel like I can bring a different edge to it that hasn't been there. Above that, I feel like this 2022 class is going to be big."
Another factor for Pyron and his family, after decommitting from Baylor and opening things up? Being closer to home. Pinson to Waco is a MUCH longer trip than it is from Pinson to Atlanta. It felt like the perfect distance for both he and his family.
"That was something that was pretty important to me," said Pyron about the distance. "Georgia Tech will be about two-and-a-half to three hours. It is close to home, but it isn't TOO close to home, if that makes sense? It was a really, really big thing for me to find somewhere that when we have a bye week or something like that, I am able to run home and spend some time with the family one afternoon, and then get back later that night. That was big for me."
Switching gears from recruit to recruiter, it seems that Pyron has his eyes set on working to flip a certain teammate from his current commitment elsewhere.
"B.J. (Diakite) and I are very close," said Pyron about Diakite, an EDGE target for the coaching staff that received an offer last weekend. "I'm definitely going to be on him heavy. If I can have one of my best friends commit to play at the next level with me, that would be awesome. I'm going to stay in his ear, but I am not going to push him too hard since I know he is 'committed' right now and he needs to take his time. I will definitely stay in his ear about it, though."
Pyron is looking forward to continuing to build relationships with the commits. Especially those that he met last weekend at the Pitt game. He met Tyler Gibson last weekend.
"I met the big defensive commit, the top rated guy we have committed right now, Jaron Willis, and then I met the DL from New Jersey, K.J. Miles. I spent some time talking with them. They gave me some really good info!"
With his recruitment now *officially* in the rear-view mirror, Pyron has his eyes set on two dates- Alabama State Championship, followed by the day he officially becomes a Yellow Jacket and signs his NLI, December 15th.